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(No Model.) 2 sheets-*sheet 1.

J. K. CLARK.

RAILWAY TIE. No. 362,608. Patented May 10, 1887.

, v Il!!! 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

` (No Model.)

J. K. CLARK.-

RAILWAY TIB.

Patented May 10. 1887.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN K. CLARK, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT A'ND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO MARY KIMBALL CLARK, OF SAME PLACE.

RAI LWAY-TI E.

SPECIFICATION forming part o Letters Patent No. 362,608, dated May 10, 1887.

Application filed August 14, 1886. Serial No. 210,921. (No model.)

.To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, JOHN K. CLARK, ak citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Railway-Ties, of which the following is a specification. A

This invention has for its object to provide a novel and simple hollow metallic railway-tie which will bodily yield tothe pressure of the passing car-wheels and retain the ballast or foundation in position therein,4 to provide novel means for clamping the rail upon the tie by means of bolts, whereby the bolts and clamps cannot turn and the clamps thereby prevented froml accidentally disengaging the rails; to produce this character'of tics at a minimum cost; to provide durability, and to` avoid excessive weight.

The objects of my invention I accomplish by the construction and combination of devices hereinafter described and claimed, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in

V '-railway-tieembodying myinvention andshowing portions of the rails in position; Fig. 2, a 'longitudinal sectional view taken centrally through the tie, Fig. 3, detached perspective views of the parts of one tie-head; Fig. 4, detail perspective views of one of the clamps and its clamping bolt and nut, and Fig. 5 a detail end elevation showing a modiication in the form ofthe spring top plate of the tie heads.

In order to enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will now describe the same in detail,referring to the drawings, where- The numerals 1 indicate the tie-heads,and 2 the connectingbar or tie-plate. As each tiehead is alike, a description of one will suffice for both. The head comprises an arched top plate, 3, havingside walls, 4, riveted or bolted, as at 5, to arms 6 on the end plates, 7. These end plates are composed of flat pieces of metal bent at right angles at each end to form the plate, whereby the latter can yield to the l dium of suitable dies and to stamp out the end plates from wrought-iron,to reduce the cost of production. After these parts are connected by riveting the ends of the side walls, 4, of the spring top plate to the arm 6 on the end plates, there should be present spaces of about one-eighth of an inch (more or less) between the upper edges of the end plates and the inner surface of the arched plate. The parts so constructed constitute a hollow body,which is set in the ballast of the roadway, so that the end plates serve to retain theballast or founda tion in the hollow body.

The two tie-heads so constructed are connected by a tie bar or plate, 2, which is tted into recesses 1l formedcentrally in the top edges of the inner end plate of each head, the extremities of the tie-plate being bolted to the arched top plate by bolts 12, having squared portions 13 engaging corresponding openings iiiv the tie-plate and passing through round or angular bolt-holes 13 in the top plate, 3, the nuts for securing the bolts being above the top plate, so that they can be conveniently reached for any desired purpose. rIhe engagment of the tie-plate with recesses in the inner end plates prevents the tie-plate and the heads from moving out of proper alignment.

The top plate is preferably curved where the rail rests; but obviously it may be attened at this point, as shown in Fig. 5, without changing the character of the invention. The top plate is provided with two adjacent square or angular oriices, 15, through which pass bolts 16, which are square for their entire length,ex

cept as to the upper screw-tareaded ends which engage the screw-nuts 17. These bolts pass through square or angular orifices 18 lin the lclamps 19, each of which consists of a flat plate of metal resting at one end on the baseange of the rail and having the other end bent or turned at right angles, or approximately so, to form a foot, 20, which rests upon the arched top plate. Vhen the clamps are pressing on the anges of the rails, the square upper end portions of the bolts pass about onehalf the distance through the square orifices IOO in the clamps, (more or less,) so that even if the screw-nuts should work loose the clamps cannot turn and disengage the rail-flanges, which is very important in this class of devices Vfor clamping the rails to the tie.

It will be seen that all the boltnuts are eX- posed above the tie, which renders them easily accessible to the track-walkers or others whose duty it is to preserve the road in perfect order. In ease a train is derailed and tie-heads at one side seriously damaged, such tie-heads can be readily removed and perfect ones substituted therefor without disturbing the tieheads at the opposite side of the track.

By constructing the tie-heads of separate end and top plates and uniting these parts by rivets or their equivalent the entire head will yield to the pressure of the train and be more durable than if made in a single piece.

In building a railroad according to my i11- Vention I contemplate arranging the rails so that their adjacent ends meet centrally on the tie-head, and secure such ends by the clamps, which will be made of sufficient width to span the line of separation between the rails and bear about one and one-half inch on the flanges of each rail, thereby providing a strong connection and giving iiexibility to the ends of the rail.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A rail-supporting head for a railway-tie, consisting of a yielding metallic top plate and side walls, and separately attached metallic end walls retaining the ballast or foundation, substantially as described.

2. A railsnpporting head for a railway-tie, consisting of the elastic metallic top plate and the separate end plates connected therewith and having their top edges separated from the inner surfaces of the top plate, substantially as described.

3. A railwaytie consisting of a tie-plate and two tie-heads, each consisting of an elastic metal top plate, and two end plates riveted to the top plate and separated therefrom at their top edges by intervening spaces, substantially as described.

4. A railway-te consisting of a tie-plate and two tie-heads, each consisting of an elastic metal top plate having bolt-holes, the separate end plates riveted to the top plate and separated therefrom at their top edges by intervening spaces, clamps for engaging the railiianges, and bolts passing through the elastic top plate and the clamps, substantially as described.

5. A railway-tie consisting of atie-plate and two tie-heads, each having square or angular bolt-holes, the clamps having square or angular bolt-holes, and the square or angular bolts whereby the clamps, when pressing on the rail-flanges, engage by their square bolt-holes with the square portion of the bolts, substantially as and for the purpose described.

6. A railway-tic consisting ofa tie-plate and two tie-heads, each comprising an elastic metal top plate and end walls, separated therefrom at their top edges, and one ofwhich is provided with a recess receivingthetie-plate, and bolts connecting the ends ofthe tic-plate with the elastic top plate, substantially as described.

7. r1`he combination, in a railwaytie, ofa tiehead having its top wall provided with angular bolt-holes, the clamps cach consisting of a metal plate having an angular bolt-hole and bearing at one end on the rail-flanges and bent at the other end at right angles, or approximately so, to ferm a foot resting on the top plate, and angular bolts passing through the said bolt-holes, and with the angular portions ot' which the clamps engage, substantially as described.

In testimonywhereofI affix my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

JOHN K. CLARK..

Vitnesses:

Trios. J. GRUMP, RICHARD 1B. HOFFMAN. 

